A new video released by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on the occasion of Republic Day has once again intensified the discussion whether the Kirana Hills area of Pakistan was also targeted during Operation Sindoor. This area is considered to be located near the nuclear infrastructure of Pakistan. The video shows a glimpse of precise attacks carried out on several targets in the neighboring country.
Why did the video increase the discussion?
In this video of IAF, scenes of attacks on many important airbases of Pakistan are shown. Some of these locations are said to be close to Pakistan’s nuclear storage sites. For this reason, speculations regarding Kirana Hills have again surfaced in social media and strategic circles.
#IAFSindoorFormation
Standing shoulder to shoulder with our sister services, the Sindoor Formation on #RepublicDay2026 underlined the #IndianAirForce‘s role in shaping military outcomes through precise and time-sensitive air operations.Music credits : Mahisasura Mardini… pic.twitter.com/P5tUHQS3lS
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) January 26, 2026
India had already refused
The Indian government has already clarified that Kirana Hills was not targeted. However, in a press briefing held a few days after Operation Sindoor, India’s Director General of Air Operations, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti’s response further fueled the discussion. When he was directly asked whether Kirana Hills was attacked, he smiled and said, ‘Thank you for telling us that there are some nuclear sites in Kirana Hills. We were not aware of this. We have not attacked Kirana Hills, whatever is there.
Suspicion increased due to light answer
This mild response of the Air Marshal was seen by many people as a signal, which further intensified the discussion that perhaps the attacks had reached there. However, officially India has not made any change in its stand. According to defense sources, IAF stands by its old statement even after the new video. No new clarification has been given by the officials, so speculations still remain.
what was operation vermilion
On May 7, India had carried out precise strikes on nine terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor. This action was taken in response to the terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, Kashmir, in which Pakistan-backed terrorists had killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists.
Pakistan’s retaliatory action
After the attacks, Pakistan launched drones, missiles and shelling on Indian military and civilian areas. In response, India targeted several important airbases of Pakistan, including Noor Khan Airbase, which is located near the headquarters of the department that oversees Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.
signals from satellite images
Some satellite images indicate attacks on Mushaf airbase in Sargodha. It is said that this area may be connected to the underground nuclear storage sites beneath Kirana Hills. Kirana Hills is about 20 kilometers from Sargodha and about 75 kilometers from Khushab Nuclear Plant.
